University of Iowa Athletics
D

#5 Riley Whitaker

Height 5-6
Class Sr.
Hometown Ankeny, Iowa
High School Ankeny
Club Team Iowa Rush
Riley Whitaker - Women's Soccer - University of Iowa Athletics

2021 Honors – Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree… named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team… Voted recipient of Iowa’s Hawk Award… earned Academic All-Big Ten honors… letterwinner. 2021 – Started in 12 of the 15 games she appeared in… logging 1,101 minutes… tallied one assist… had a late start to the season due to her knee injury from last season… in her first game back she had her sole assist in the 5-0 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/02)…  integral member of an Iowa defense that gave up 20 goals with six clean sheets.

2020 Honors – Academic All-Big Ten selection… named to the Dean’s List during the fall semester. 2020 – Team captain… missed the season because of a knee injury… did not see any game action.

2019 Honors — Named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team… Iowa’s Defensive Most Valuable Player… Academic All-Big Ten… named to the Dean’s List during the spring semester. 2019 — Started all 21 games, logging a team-high 1,889 minutes… played 90 or more minutes in a team-high 17 games… scored one goal and tallied three assists… had 14 shots with eight being on goal… tallied assists in wins over UNC Greensboro (9/8), Notre Dame (9/15), and Michigan State (10/6)… scored her first goal of the season in the win over Maryland (10/13)… member of an Iowa defense that had eight shutouts and allowed seven or fewer shots in 13 games… named to Big Ten Preseason Honors List.

2018 Honors — Named Iowa’s Newcomer of the Year. 2018 — Started 17 games and saw action in all 18 contests… recorded one goal and an assist… put five of her six shots on goal… recorded 1,310 minutes of action, second most amongst freshmen… letterwinner.

High School — Played club soccer, competing for the Iowa Rush since 2004… was a State Cup champion from 2013-14 and 2016-18… helped team to Region II Championships from 2013-18 and to a Midwest Regional League title in 2018… member of the Rush National Select Team from 2013-15 — a team that trained in Europe… Rush team captain… played on the 1999 Iowa ODP State Team from 2012-15… was a Region II Camp participant from 2012-15 and was in the Region II Pool in 2015… played for the Michigan Hawks club team in 2015-16… recipient of the Presidential Academic Achievement Award and was on the Honor Roll… member of the National Honor Society… club coach was Daryl Brazeau.

Personal — Born Sept. 10, 1999… daughter of Kyle Whitaker and Becky Neal… has six siblings, Cole Whitaker, Adam Neal, Noah Neal, Haley Neal, Brandon Angus, and Reagan Angus… majoring in health and human physiology.